Framed movable screens for use in aerator devices



P 1951 E. P. AGHNIDES 2,998,932

FRAMED MOVABLE SCREENS FOR USE IN AERATOR DEVICES Filed April 24, 1958FIG. IA.

INVENTOR Elie P. Aghnides ATTORNEYS United States PatentQ 2,998,932FRAMED MOVABLE SCREENS FOR USE IN AERATOR DEVICES Elie P. Aghnides, 46W. 54th St., New York 19, N.Y, Filed Apr. 24, 1958, Ser. No. 730,568 12Claims. (Cl. 239-432) plural screens are superposed on one another. Thepro vision of frame devices of types suggested heretofore results in anappreciable reduction in the effective mixing area provided by thescreens.

The present invention serves to obviate the foregoing difliculties, andis particularly concerned with improved screen structures for use inwater aerators or fluid mixing devices, which screen structures areframed by shells so arranged that they do not materially reduce thefluid mixing area presentedby the screens themselves. The screenstructures are movable within said shells, with the shells and screensbeing so disposed with respect to one another that the shell can beplaced within an aera-' tor casing, whereafter the screen moves to adesired position within the shell under the combined force of gravityand applied fluid pressures.

This movable characteristic of the screens is an important feature ofthe present invention, in that it permits the shell framing the screensto provide a relatively large spacing between superposed screens withoutappreciably cutting down the mixing area of the screen or screens; andthe movable screens which are characteristic of the present inventionfurther permit, in several embodiments of the invention, the shells tobe placed within an aeraa tor casing in either of two positions,whereupon the, screens will move to a desired predetermined position.

relative to the casing itself. It is accordingly an object of thepresent invention to provide a framed screen unit for use in wateraerator or fluid mixing devices, which framed unit decreases very littlethe effective air-water mixing area. of the screen.

or screens employed.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of aframed screen unit comprising a framing shell hay-ing a floating ormovable screen or screens therein, whereby said screens move orgravitate to the lowest part of the framing shell when the unit isplaced in a horizontal position. 1

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of ascreening unit which is framed with a a shell structure of very thinmaterial whereby plural such units may be superposed to effect a desiredrelatively large spacing between screens without simultaneously cuttingdown the effective mixing area of the screens to any appreciable extent.

A still further object of the present invention resides in the provisionof an improved framed screen unit for use in water aerator devices whichemploys a shell so arranged as to have only limited contact with theinner wall of the aerator body or casing, thereby to prevent" thecementing of the screen unit to the casing bycalcium deposits collectingon the interior of the casing.

2,998,932 Patented Sept. .5, 196i use in water aerator'or fluid mixingdevices, which is more easily cleanable than units suggested heretofore.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of animproved framed screen unit comprising a shell having a movable orfloating screen there-: in, so arranged and constructed that the overallunit may be placed within an aerator body in either of two positionswithout affecting either the operation of the aerator or the relativespacing between components of the aerator, whereby the aerator itselfmay be more readily assembled and disassembled than has been the caseheretofore.

Still another object of the present invention resides {in the provisionof an improved screenunit for usegin' water aerator or fluid mixingdevices, which screen unit,

comprises a shell having a floating or movable screen,

therein, and also having openings in the wall of the shell for theadmission of air to the'region of said' movable or floating screen.

A still further object of the present invention resides in the provisionof an improved framed screen unit so,

' constructed that plural such units can be disposed-in A still furtherobject of the present invention resides f ne'sted relation in an aeratoror fluid mixing body.

Still another object of the present invention resides in the provisionof a framed screen unit having lateral projections whereby a spacing isprovided between the.

inner wall of an aerator body and said framed screen unit when the saidunit is placed within said aeratorv body.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision ofimproved framed screenfunits employa ing movable screens so constructedandarranged that plural superposed screen units can be placed within a,shorter aerator body for a given spacing between screens than has beenthe case heretofore. j j

In providing for the foregoing objects and advantages; the presentinvention contemplates the provision of a water aerator or fluid mixingdevice comprising .a casing having an improved mixing screen unit orunits therein. Each said mixing screen unit preferably comprises "a thinwalled shell of appreciable height in relation to'the' height of thescreen surface itself, having a screen'st'ruo; turemovably disposedtherein. H I

The screen surface is trapped within but not fastened to any portion ofthe framing shell whereby. said s'creenl surface is permitted to move orfioatwithin the shell under the combined forcesof gravity and appliedfluid token, due to themovable or floating nature of the indi-jj vidualscreens, each unit can be placed in either of .two' positions within theaerator casing without affecting the relative spacing between the actualmixing surfaces pro: sented by the screens. v

The shellsutilized in each of the aforementioned units can have one ormore flat screens therein; or can in the alternative, as will bedescribed, have at least one jdish'ed screen surface therein. In eitherevent, the-screens are 3 movable whereby the advantages alreadydescribed be achieved. The shells moreover can be provided wit one ormore openings in the side walls thereof for the admission of air to theregion of the mixing screen or screens. Instead ofv providing such sideopenings, how-"1" ever, either the framing shells and/ or the aeratorcasing", can be provided with depressions or projections to assure thatportions of the framing shells are spaced from the 3 inner wall of theaerator casing, whereby air, admitted for example adjacent the dischargeend of the aerator, can pass upward between the framing shells andeasing body to enter each shell adjacent the mixing screen surface orsurfaces carried therein.

The foregoing objects, advantages, construction and operation of thepresent invention will become more readily apparent from the followingdescription and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1A is a cross-sectional view of an improved aerator employingnovel movable framed screens constructed in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIGURE 1B is a view taken on line 1B1B of FIG- URE 1A.

FIGURE 1C is a detail view of a portion of a typical unit of the typeemployed in FIGURE 1A.

FIGURE 1D is a detail view of a screen mesh of the type preferablyemployed in the practice of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 illustrates a modified Screen unit constructed in accordancewith the present invention.

FIGURE 3 illustrates a screen unit constructed in accordance with afurther modification of the present invention.

FIGURE 3A illustrates an alternative form of dished screen such as maybe employed in the present invention.

FIGURE 4 illustrates a screen unit constructed in accordance with stillanother modification of the present invention.

FIGURE 5 illustrates screen units constructed for nested superpositionin accordance with still another modification of the present invention;and

FIGURE 6 illustrates a still further embodiment of the presentinvention.

The present invention is related to my prior copending applicationSerial No. 560,299, filed January 20, 1956, for: Fluid Mixing Devices;and of my prior copending application Serial No. 639,782, filed February12, 1957, now abandoned, for: Unframed Forarninous Structures for FluidMixing Devices.

Referring to FIGURES 1A through 1C, it will be seen that an improvedaerator constructed in accordance with the present invention comprises acasing 10 having an outlet end 11 defined by an outlet ring 12interconnected with the body 10 by a plurality of lateral arms 13. Theelements 10, 12 and 13 are integral with one another; and the outletring 12( arms 13, and body 10 preferably comprise a single stamping.

The interior of the casing 10 preferably includes a diaphragm 14 of thetype previously described in my prior copending application Serial No.640,859, filed February 18, 1957, for: Improvements in Water Aerators.The particular form of diaphragm represented by 14 in FIG- URE 1Acomprises a body which may be formed of a material such as polyethylene,and defines three substantially concentric rows of openings 15 as wellas ring-like projections 16 which partially close the inlet ends of aplurality of tubular chambers 17. The several chambers 17 may have adiameter of approximately one mm., and a height of approximately 3.5mm.; and the restricted apertures defined between the openings 15 andthe partial closing rings 16 may be 0.50 or 0.75 mm. The diaphragm 14further includes a plurality of feet 18 spaced about the peripherythereof; and there are preferably eight feet 18 so spaced. The feet 18support the diaphragm 14, as shown in FIGURE 1A, on the upper edge of amixing screen unit 19 which is in turn supported on a further mixingscreen unit 20 carried on the outlet ring 12 of the device.

Each of the units 19 and 20 comprises a framing shell 21 (see FIGURE 1C)which is constructed of fairly thin material, e.g. it may beapproximately 0.25 mm. thick. The shell has a height A (see FIGURE 1C)which is approximately 3 mm., and also defines a pair of laterally 4extending lips having an edge dimension B of approximately 0.5 mm.adapted to support a screen mesh 22 thereon. The overall shell 21 is,therefore, of hollow annular shape, and defines relatively largesubstantially circular upper and lower openings disposed substantiallycoaxial with the casing 10.

The screen mesh employed in the units of FIGURES 1A through 1C are ofthe type shown in FIGURE 1D; and in particular are preferably of thetype wherein the several junctures of the screen wires are welded,soldered, or otherwise rigidly interconnected to one another; andsimilar such screens are preferably employed in the other embodiments ofthe present invention, to be described hereinafter. The screensthemselves are preferably of 40 x 40 mesh, and employ wire having adiameter of 0.009 inch.

Each of the shells 21 defines a plurality of lateral protrusions 23which are spaced about the screening unit as shown in FIGURE 1B. Theseveral protrusions 23 assure that the screening unit is concentricallypositioned within the aerator casing 10 when said unit is placedtherein; and also assures that the screen units 19 and 20 contact theinner wall of casing 10 at only limited portions thereof. This limitedcontact tends to assure that the screening units will not becomecemented in place du to the accumulation of calcium deposits on theinterior of the aerator; and also provides a passage for air to theinterior of each unit, whereby air may pass from air inlets 24 providedadjacent the discharge end of the aerator upward between the protrusions23 and then between the legs 18 to the region downstream of diaphragm14.

The screen surface 22 is not rigidly fastened within its associatedshell 21. As a result, when the units 19 and 20 are placed in the shell10, as illustrated in FIGURE 1A,

the screens 22 are adapted to move freely, or preferably with veryslight friction, under the force of gravity and of applied fluidpressure, to the lowermost position in each shell 21. The two screens 22in the units 19 and 20, respectively, are accordingly maintained inpredetermined spaced relation to one another during operation of theaerator, with each screen being supported adjacent its peripheral edgeby the small overlap portion B defined by the framing shell associatedtherewith.

In practice, as mentioned previously, the overlapping shell edge B has adimension of only one-half mm., and this should be compared with framingstructures suggested heretofore, wherein the overlapping shell edgeordinarily has a dimension of about 1 mm. The space between the shells19-20 and the inner wall of aerator body 10 Ge. the radial spacingbetween protrusions 23) is preferably not less than 1 mm. in an aeratorhaving an inner diameter of 21 mm.; and the shells each have an outletopening 25 (and a similar, oppositely disposed inlet opening) which isapproximately 17.5 mm. in diameter. It will be noted from FIGURE 1 thatthe outlet ring 12 is of slightly smaller diameter than the dischargeoutlet 25 of the shells 19 and 20, thereby to assure the roundness andcoherency of the stream issuing from the overall aerator; and inpractice, the outlet ring 12 has a discharge diameter of approximately17 mm.

It will be noted that the shells 19 and 20 are each symmetrical, in thatthey provide upper and lower openings similar to 25 of substantially thesame diameter, and they also provide lips such as B adjacent both theupper and lower edges thereof. Inasmuch as the screen con tained in eachshell is relatively freely movable therein, each shell 21 can be placedin the aerator unit in either of two positions, inverted relative to oneanother, in which event the screen surface will move to the proper lowerposition in the shell to assure that the several screens are properlyspaced from one another.

The particular areator shown in FIGURE 1A employs a casing wherein theair inlet is adjacent the discharge end of the casing. In thealternative, the casing may take the form shown in FIGURE 2, wherein acasing 26 is provided with air inlets 27 in the side walls thereof. Whenthis form of casing is employed, the mix-ingscreen units 23 and 29,while otherwise constructed in accordance with the discussion alreadygiven in reference to FIG- URES 1A through 1C, need not have theprotrusions 23. Such protrusions may be provided, however, in whichevent a screening unit of the type described in FIGURE 1C can beemployed in an aerator casing of the type shown in FIGURE 2 in order tosecure the advantages of hrnited contact between the framed screen unitand the inner wall of the casing. 'In the arrangement of FIGURE 2 thescreen surfaces are again freely movable within their associated shells,and are supported at a lowermost position within said shells by anin-turned lip (analogous to lip B), as illustrated in FIGURE 2.

It will be noted that in the arrangements of FIGURES 1A and 2 (as wellas in any of the other embodiments to be described), the diaphragm 14(or 14a in FIGURE 2) may include a depending 'leg 30 (30a in FIGURE 2)which is adapted to be disposed closely adjacent to or rest upon thescreen in the uppermost screening unit. The leg 30, or 30a, whileoptional in nature, tends to assure that at least the upstream screen isin correct position when the overall unit is assembled for operation.Even without such legs, however, the screens will, as mentionedpreviously, tend to gravitate or be moved to proper position duringoperation of the device.

The screening units described thus far admit air adjacent the circularopenings thereof, analogous to 25. In the alternative, the screeningunit may have the shell thereof provided with one or more openings inthe side walls of the shell for the admission of air; and structures ofthis latter type are shown in FIGURES Sand 4. Referring first to FIGURE3, it will be seen that the shell 31 again has upper and lower annularlips 32 and 33 adapted to support screen surfaces; and the shell 31further defines a plurality of lateral openings 34 for the ad mission ofair. The unit of FIGURE 3 has two screens therein, with one of thesescreens 35 being substantially flat in configuration, and with the otherof these screens 36 being of dished configuration so that the screens 35and 36 are spaced from one another within shell 31, as illustrated.

A unit of the type shown in FIGURE 3 may thus be substituted for twounits such as 28-29 of FIGURE 2, or 1920 of FIGURE 1A; and again, theunit of FIG- URE 3 can be placed in either of two positions within anappropriate aerator body, in which event thetwo screen units, properlyspaced from one another, will gravitate or be moved to the lowermostposition within the shell, while at the same time assuring properspacing between the screen surfaces themselves as well as between thosescreen surfaces and the diaphragm.

When a unit of the type shown in FIGURE 3 is employed in a casing of thetype shown in FIGURE 2, the dimensions for the shell 31 may be so chosenthat the uppermost portions of each of the lateral apertures overliesthe air inlets 2'7; and in such an event the diaphragm, such as 14 (or14a), need not be provided with legs 18 (or 18a), but can rest directlyon the uppermost edge of the shell 31.

The particular form of dished screen 36 shown in FIG- URE 3 includes, asillustrated, an upper substantially horizontally disposed portion and anannular screen portion extending downwardly about the periphery of saidupper part for spacing the screens 35 and 36 from one another. The sideportion of the dished screen 36 tends to interfere with ready cleaningof the device; and in order to facilitate cleaning of the overall screenunit, an alternative form of dished screen, such as that shown in FIGURE3A, can be employed. This latter form of dished screen, which may besubstituted for the dished screen 36 of FIGURE 3, comprises a screensurface 36a, corresponding to the upper portion of dished screen 36, andincludes a plurality of screen extensions 36b, 36c

and'36d; extending from the main screen surface 36a in spaced relationto one another.

The several extensions 36b, 36c and 36d can be'bent downwardly withrespect to the plane of screen portion 36a after the screen unit hasbeen formed, whereby projections 36b, 36c, 36d form a plurality ofspaced legs extending in the same direction from the main screen surface36a. When such a dished screen structure is placed upon a further screen(such as 35 of FIGURE 3) the legs 36b, 36c and 36d act to space thescreen surface 36:: from this further screen (such as 35) and at thesame time the spacings between the several legs 36b, 36c and 36d permitready cleaning of the overall unit.

An alternative form of plural screen 'unit is shown in FIGURE 4. Thisunit again comprises a shell 37 having upper'and lower annular lips 38and 39 performing a function similar to the upper and lower lips of theunit already described, depending upon which direction the unitis'placed in the aerator casing. The side walls of the shell 37 definetwo rows of windows or openings 40 and 41; and the row of windows 41further definesin-turned lips 42. As a result of this structure, onescreen-surface 43 can be supported upon the lowermost lip 39 of theshell 37, while the other screen 44 is supported on the in-turned lips42 defined by the windows 41.v When the unit is inverted, the screen 44will be supported on lip 38 while the screen 40 will be supported againon lips 42., whereby the unit is, as before, reversible in nature,without affecting the spacing between the screens and between thosescreens and the other portions of the aerator. It will be noted thatwhen the arrangement of FIGURE 4 is employed, the dishing considerationsof the screen 36 in FIGURE 3 need not be employed; and as aresult, theunit of FIGURE 4 can again be cleaned more readily and better than theunit of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE '5 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention,wherein the framed movable screen structures of the present inventionare so constructed and arranged that they may be superposed in nestedrelation to one another. The unit of FIGURE 5 employs a casing having aplurality of protrusions 51 defined therein for centering the nestedscreen units. Air enters the device between the several protrusions 51and then passes upward to the region downstream of the diaphragm 52. Thescreening units themselves are generally of the type already describedin reference to FIGURE 2, except that each unit includes a downwardlyextending skirt 53 adapted to nest that unit within the adjacent edge ofanother unit, as illustrated in FIGURE 5.

Another form of nesting arrangement is shown in FIGURE 6. In thisparticular arrangement, the casing 55 is not provided with protrusionsor indentations similar to 5-1 (of FIGURE 5); and accordingly, theframing shells for the nested screening units 56 and 57 are providedwith protrusions 58 which are somewhat analogous to. the protrusions 23:already described in reference to FIGURE 1B. The protrusions 58 differfrom protrusions 23, however, in that they continue below the level ofthe screens 59, as shown at 60. This modified construction is employedto assure that the lower edge 61 of the lower screening unit will notcome so close to the shoulder 62 of the aerator discharge opening as toprevent the admission of air to the interior of the casing, as desired.

I claim:

1. A mixing unit for use in a water aerator comprising first and secondannular lips disposed in spaced substantially parallel relation to oneanother, said lips being interconnected by a side wall extendingtherebetween whereby said lips and side wall define a hollow annularshell having upper and lower substantially circular openings,

and mixing screen means in said shell having a thickness less than thedistance between said lips, said mixing screen means being substantiallyfreely movable in said shell between said first and second lips, theouter diameter of said mixing screen means being larger than the diameter of said upper and lower openings and smaller than the largestinside diameter of said shell, said mixing screen means being alwayssupported on one of said pair of lips in freely spaced relation to theother of said pair of lips and being adapted to gravitate toward one orthe other of said annular lips for support thereon at a positionadjacent one or the other of said circular openings depending upon theposition of said shell.

2. A mixing unit as defined in claim 1 in which said mixing screen meansconsists of a single screen.

3. A mixing unit as defined in claim 1 in which said mixing screen meanscomprises at least one screen.

4. A mixing unit as defined in claim 1 in which said mixing screen meanscomprises superposed screens.

5. A mixing unit as defined in claim 1 in which the mixing screen meanscomprises superposed screens interconnected at their peripheries.

6. A mixing unit as defined in claim 1 in which one of said lips afterextending inwardly then extends downwardly to form an outlet skirt.

7. A mixing unit as defined in claim 1 in combination with a second suchunit fastened to and located on the downstream side of the first unit.

8. A pair of mixing units as defined in claim 7 in which spaced portionsof the side wall of one of the units have been punched inwardly to forma lip separating the two units as well as to form an air inlet.

9. A mixing unit as defined in claim 1 in which said side wall hasspaced lateral protrusions to center the unit in the aerator and provideair passageways between the protrusions.

10. A mixing unit for use in a water aerator comprising a round screenelement, a cylindrical tube having a. diameter slightly larger than thatof the screen element and a height substantially greater than thethickness of said screen element, said screen being positioned withinthe tube, and lips extending inwardly from the upper and lower ends ofthe tube to retain the screen within the tube, said screen element beingthe only one in said tube, whereby the screen element is substantiallyfreely movable within the tube between the lips at the opposite ends ofthe tube.

11. A mixing unit as defined in claim 10 in which the Width of said lipis smaller than the height of said cylindrical tube.

12. A mixing unit as defined in claim 10 in which said cylindrical tubehas spaced lateral protrusions to center the unit in the aerator andprovide air passageways between the protrusions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS968,983 Riedy Aug. 30, 1910 1,582,296 Neighbauer Apr. 27, 1926 2,210,846Aghnides Aug. 6, 1940 2,334,802 Zu ckermann Nov. 23, 1943 2,424,612Gunter July 29, 1947 2,532,565 Miller Dec. 5, 1950 2,541,854 Bachli eta1. Feb. 13, 1951 2,633,343 Aghnides Mar. 31, 1953 2,651,546 Palm Sept.8, 1953 2,747,930 Hyde May 29, 1956 2,770,446 Aghnides Nov. 13, 19562,771,998 Holden Nov. 27, 1956 2,774,584 Aghnides Dec. 18, 19562,778,620 Goodrie Ian. 22, 1957 2,787,452 Aghnides Apr. 2, 19572,849,217 Bachli et a1. Aug. 26, 1958 FOREiGN PATENTS 219,084Switzerland May 1, 1942

